Automatic locking means for trunks.



G. H. WHEARY. AUTOMATIC LOCKING MEANS FOR TRUNKS.

APPLICAT ON FILED IUL Y 19. I916;

PatentdSept.12,l916.

2 SHEE TSSHEET I.

vENTU/ ATTU 5 W H W m (r. H I II r i I IIIILIIlI. I 1 I I. L .III I w L V M G.=H. WHEARY. .AUTOMATIC LOGKING MEANS ron muuxs.

APPLICATION HLED IULY I9; 1916. v 1,198,387, 1 Pqtented'Sept. 12,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- STATES. PATENT ormon" 'enoneii HENRY WHEARY, or Racine, WISCONSIN.

' AUTOMATIC LOCKING means non rnonns.

Speciflcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Application filed July 19, 1916. Serial No. 110,024.

To all whom, it may concern:

- Be it known; that I, GEORGE HENRY WHEARY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Locking Means for Trunks, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic locking means for trunks more particularly adapted for use in connection with wardrobe trunks formed in two sections and having a top cover and a plurality I of locking bolts.

In wardrobe and other trunks which are divided medially, vertically to form a wardrobe section and a body'or drawer section, the ward'robe'section is usually provided with a top or upper end cover for convenience in removing garments from said wardrobe section. In trunks of this type a plurality of locking devices is usually provided for locking the sections and the cover in closed position. Theindependent operation of these looking devices is not convenie'nt and requires considerable time-and is otherwise objectionable.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to overcome the before mentioned objectionable features and provide a trunk with a plurality of locks which may be unlocked by a keyed engagement with one of the lock I l A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic locking means adapt? ed to lock trunk sections and a trunk top cover at a. plurality of points, one of the locking members being'constructed and arranged to automatically unlock the parts which are locked thereby when the other 'A further object of the invention is to provide an uutomutichlocking ,means for trunks which is of simple construction, is strong 1 and durable and which is well adapted for the purpose described.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved automatic locking means for trunks and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which,

the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views: Figure 1 is a front view of a trunk provided with the improved automatic locking means; Fig. 2

is a rear view of the trunk with the wardrobe section thereof sho'wnin section to show the locking mechanism within the said section, the top cover of said Wardrobe section indicated by dottedlines as in open position; Fig. 3 is avertical sectional detail view on a larger scale of the upper portion of the trunk; Fig. 4 is a similar view with the top cover of the wardrobe section shown partly in open position, the top cover also beingindicatedin another position by dotted lines; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional detail view thereof taken on line 5-5 of,

Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of a modified form of locking means with thetop cover of the Wardrobe section shown in closed position; Fig. 7 1st. s milar View with the. top cover shown in, open position; and

Fig. 8'is a detail sectional view of. the lock used in both forms. 7

Referring 'to the drawings the numeral 8 indicates a trunk'bodywhich is divided 'ver tically to form a body portion 9, a wardrobe section 10, the wardrobe section being open at its upper end andprovided with a top cover 11 which is hinged to the forward edge of the body portion. The top cover 11 is looked to the wardrobe section. by a hasp lock 12 which is controlled by a key 13in the ordinary manner while the wardrobe section'is locked to the body portion by an automatic lock 14- controlled by the movement of thc topcovcr 11; The automatic lock 14 comprises the hinged hasp member 15 attached to the body portion of the trunk. and the bolt member 16 attached to the wardrobe section thereof. The hasp member 15 15 ot ordinary construction and is provided with the usual eyed pro ect1on 17 which is adapted to extend through theoponing 18 of the bolt member 16 and to be entered by the slidable bolt 19 forming part of the bolt member 16. The rectangular bolt 19 is slidably mounted within the casing 16' of the bolt member 16 and is provided with a stem 20 which extends upwardly through the casing and is connected by a short chain 21 to the lower end of an actuating rod or bar 22 slidably mounted on the inner side of one of the walls of the wardrobe section. A coiled spring 23 surrounding the bolt stem and interposed between the bolt and the casing serves to normally and yieldingly hold the bolt in looking position. A transverse pin 24 projecting from the bolt and extending through a slot 24 in the casing limits the downward movement of the bolt.

The lower end portion 19' of the bolt 19 is beveled and likewise the upper forward edge 17 of the eyed projection 17 to provide for the automatic engagement of said parts when the hasp member is pushed inwardly to locking position. A flat spring 25 automaticall swin s the hasp member outwardly hen re eased by thebolt.

The actuating rod or member 22 slidably extends through guide brackets 26 and terminutes at a point ad'aoent the upper edge portion of the wardro section and its upper end portion 22' is bent at right angles to provide for the automatic or manual upward pull ofsaid member.

A rod actuating hook member 27 loosely,

pivotally connected to a bracket 28 mounted on the inner face of the top cover 11 ispositioned to hook'under the bent rtion22' of the actuating rod 22 and pul said rod upwardly to unlock the hasp lock. 14 when the top trunk cover is swung to open position.

The hook member engages the outer edge portion 29 of the actuating rod and is provided with ashouldered portion 30 adjacent the pivotal connection of the hook member with the bracket 28. This shouldered portion is so positioned with relation to the hook portion of the member that when the top cover of the trunk is swung almost to vertical position the said'shouldered portion will strike against the bottom portion of the bracket and limit further independent move-- ment of the hook member and it will then swing upwardly with the top hover and dis engage the bent or shouldered portion of i the actuating rod as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4. When thus disengaged the actuating rod will be pulled downwardly by gravity and the bolt spring 23 and the bolt will be in position to engage the hasp member 15 when it is pushed to closed position. A stop pin 31 projecting-from the actuating rod (3115M lies one of the guide brackets 26 and limits tnc downward movement of the said rod and maintains it in position to be engaged by the hook member 27.

in the modified form shown in Figs. 6 and 7 an angular hook member 27 is prov vided which hooks beneath the opposite edge 1 portion of the bent part 22 of the actuating bar 22 and pulls said bar to open position.

The trunk sections are now swung apart so that the bent portion of the actuating bar will snap off the hook portion bar 27' and the said-bar will drop to its normal position as shownin Fig. 6.

In order to permit the hook member to again engage the bar when the top cover is swung to closed position the lower end portion of the hook member is curved laterally as indicated by the numeral 33 so that it will be deflected sidewise in moving downwardly and thus'assume its normal position shown in Fig. 6. The pivotal connection 34 between the hook member and the bracket is sufiiciently loose to permit this side play. v

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the automatic locking means for trunks is of very simple construction and is well adapted for the purpose described.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination of a trunk having a plurality of connected together elements, of an automatic locking means therefor, consisting of a lockin member for two of the elements controlle by the movement of a third element, said locking means also operable to lock or unlock the two elements together while-the third element is in open position. V

2. The combination of a trunk havin a plurality of hinged together elements, 0 an automatic locking means therefor, comprising a manually actuated locking member locking two of the elements together, and an automatic locking member looking a third element to one of the locked to ether elements, the second mentioned loc ing member bein unlocked by the movement of one of therst' mentioned locked together elements toward its open osition, said construction permitting the ocking of the said second mentioned locking member while one of the first mentioned elements is in open position.

3. The combination of a trunk having a plurality of hinged togetherv elements, of an automatic locking means therefor, comprising a manually actuated locking member locking two of the elements together, and an automatic locking member locking a third element to one of the locked together elements, the second mentioned locking member momentarily moving to unlocking position while the first mentioned elements are moved to open position.

32 of the said 4. An automatic locking means for a.

of cheer the hinged together elements, said construction permitting the locking the hasp member'to the bolt member While one oil the first mentioned elements is in open position.

5, An automatic means for a trunk having a plurality "of hinged together elements, comprising a hasp member yieldingly held in open position, a bolt member positioned to sition, and other means for momentarily moving the bolt member to unlocked position While one of the hinged elements is moved to open position, said construction permitting the locking of the hasp member to the bolt member While one of the first mentioned elements is in 'openposition.

6. An automatic locking means, comprising ahasp member, a bolt member posltioned to engage the hasp member, an actuating.

member connected to the bolt member, and a hook member engaging the actuating member for momentarily moving the. bolt member to unlocked position.

7. An automatic locking'means, comprising a hasp member, a bolt member posiv: tioned to engage the hasp' member, means I for yieldingly holding the bolt member in a locking position, an actuating member connected to the bolt member, and a hook mem ber engaging the actuating member for momentarily moving the bolt member to unlocked position and when moved to unlocked position to disengage andpermit the bolt member to move to locking position.

8. An automaticlocking means, comprising a hasp member, a bolt member positioned to engage the hasp member, means for yield' ingly holding the bolt member in a locking position, an actuatin member connected to the bolt member and aving an angular portion, and a hook member engaging the angular portion of the actuating member for momentarily moving the bolt member to unlocked position, said hook member having a shouldered portion which co-acts to disengage the hook-member from the angular portion after the bolt member has been moved to unlocked position.-

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE HENRY WHEARY. 

